Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Pit of No Return
by DarkBlackHeart
Summary: Percy Jackson was the hero of the prophecy. He banished himself and Kronos to Tartarus to save the Olympians. But the god refuse to just let that fate slide. And so when the guardian of the pit opens its doors to mortals, the Olympians send five half-bloods to save him.
1. A single choice shall end his days

Warning: Torture hinted at, though I won't actually wrie horrific scenes.

Disclaimer: Don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Ch. 1 A single choice shall end his days

Hyperion and Kronos glared at the beaten and bruised son of Poseidon before them. His hands were bound in spiked celestian bronze chains that cut into his wrists and poured golden ichor onto the ground in front of them. His eyes were closed and his mouth dripped with the blood of an immortal, or a god.

The titans were uncertain what to do with this mortal who had defeated them single-handedly and yet shared the same fate as them due to a cruel prophecy of the fates. Kronos, despite hating the mortal with a passion, had grown to respect the boy an immense amount for his power, the power of Poseidon.

_XXFlashbackXX_

_Percy and Kronos fought, sword clashing against scythe as they battled for control of the world. Luke Castellan, traitorous son of Hermes flickered in and out of existance as the titan began to regain his true form, but Percy never once considered giving up. This throne room was the final battle and if he lost, everything he cared for would be lost as well. And so they fought on. _

_However, the battle was stopped abruptly as Lady Hestia, goddess of the hearth, summoned a fiery cage and trapped the titan lord so she could converse with the child of the prophecy. _

_"Perceus Jackson, son of Poseidon. This was the exact moment of your birth sixteen years ago and the time has come for you to make your choice." Her voice rang out and even the Olympians, who had finished Typhon and were headed back to their palace to finish the combat halted at the peaceful goddess' voice. _

_"I will save Olympus, my Lady." Percy answered immediately, ignoring the rage from the temporarily trapped Titan. Hestia gave a small sad smile._

_"Hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap,_

_A single choice shall end his days, _

_Olympus to preserve or raze." The goddess quoted ominously, a tear leaking out from her eye. Percy's gaze fell to the bade in his hand. Cursed by Heracles when he stole it from Zoe Nightshade, fallen huntress of Artemis and a constellation in the night. It glittered innocently in the throne room. Kronos, sensing danger, did his best to escape and failed. Hestia gave him a bad burn for trying. _

_"If you chose, Anaklusmos can save Olympus, but the price is high, young one." Percy gave her a smile. _

_"I'll die." Hestia shook her head in disagreement, though her eyes betrayed the pain that she felt for making this hero choose between two evils. _

_"No, Perceus, you will be cast down into the pit of Tartarus with him, for as long as Tartarus wills. There will be little chance of escape, and you will suffer greatly." Percy Jackson flinched, but Hestia continued, more tears tracing her face. "In the process, you will save your friends and the god's from terrible fates." Percy's eyes trailed to where Annabeth lay, unconcious but breathing. "I am afraid you must make your choice, my hero." _

_Percy raised his blade and looked at his reflection. Hestia gave a sad smile before stepping back and waving her hand._

_"I have lifted Achilles curse, as it is the only possible way for you to make this choice. Choose to fall and stab your heart and the Titan Lord will fall as well." Percy gave her a sad smile before flipping the blade in his hand so that it pointed at him. Taking a last look at the daughter of Athena that he loved so much, and ignoring the angry cursing of the Titan Lord, he stabbed himself through the heart, The Olympians charged in just as he fell, and Poseidon, unleashing his fury, called forth the sea to surround his son and give him some strength. _

_The sixteen-year old's eyes were glazed and he felt intense pain, but he still managed to smile at his father, though it was weak. _

_"Dad, I love you." He said softly and Poseidon instantly knelt by his side, trying his best to save him. "You must let me go." Percy said weakly. Poseidon began to sob, heartbroken sobs and below the sea became a churning mess, wallowing in its master's sorrow. _

_"We have to be able to save you, Percy. We have to!" Percy shook his head, even as the god of medicine tried his best to heal the fatal self-inflicted wound. Kronos watched with fury-filled eyes but he was ignored by all. He had no strength to do anything and so, the gods focused on their savior. _

_"It's too late. I made my choice for you, for all of you." His gaze fell to the unconcious girl on the ground, wishing she was awake but having to settlefor something less. "Lady Athena," The goddess of wisdom joined the boy on the ground, feeling intense sorrow for his loss despite her once strong feelings of dislike. _

_"Yes, Perceus?" She asked softly. _

_"Please tell Annabeth that I love her and I always will love her. Tell her that if I had any other choice, I would've stayed by her side for eternity." Athena nodded sadly before giving him a weak smile. _

_"I was wrong, Perseus. You were the only male worthy of her." Every other Olympian looked at her as she blessed Percy with her power. _

_"Use the blessing I have given you in Tartarus, young one. And may one day soon, the goddess of the pit determine you worthy and allow us entrance to rescue you." Percy thanked her weakly before looking through the crowd and spotting one of his least favorite gods. _

_"Lord Ares, please tell Clarisse that it was an honor fighting by her side." The god of war followed Athena's example and knelt to give the kid his blessing. _

_"This in no way means that I like you, punk. But I do respect you. I'd be a fool not to." He moved to the back again, and both of them tried to hide their smiles. _

_"Lady Artemis," The goddess of the hunt stepped forward and knelt, becoming a twelve-year old again._

_"Yes, child?" She replied sadly, her hand grasping his and squeezing it, allowing power to flow through him, giving him more time and her own blessing. _

_"Please inform Thalia that she's the best sister I could ever wish for and it was an honor fighting beside her." The goddess of the hunt nodded with a smile and rose, moving to Ares and Athena. _

_"Lady Aphrodite." The goddess stepped forward and gave him her blessing as well, though she felt that it would be useless where he was going. "I'm sorry for Silena's loss. She was a worthy hero." The love goddess gave him a gentle smile and moved back, sobbing gently into Ares' shoulder. "Lord Hades?" _

_Hades' moved forward. "I am proud to call you my nephew, son of Poseidon. I wish I could save you from your fate." Percy nodded once._

_"Give my thanks to Nico, will you?" The god of the dead nodded and gave the child his blessing as well. Hera stepped forward and towered over the child in front of her, before granting her blessing._

_"I do not like you, Perceus Jackson. But you saved my family and for that, I am eternally grateful." The other gods and goddess' all granted the boy their blessing as well, with various reactions until Dionysus and Zeus were left, The god of wine stepped forward first. _

_"Excellent job, Perry. You did well, for a demigod." Percy let out a laugh as the god of wine granted his blessing. Zeus moved forward last and Percy held up his hand to stop his uncle. His life was fading but he needed to get this out. _

_"This war happened because kids felt abandoned, my lord. The minor gods felt slighted and Lord Hades almost didn't help because he too felt cheated. And Lady Hestia was the reason that I saved Olympus. Honor both of them for they are the true saviors of Olympus. And please, my lord, give all the gods a cabin at camp half-blood. Perhaps then, another war like this won't happen for a while." Percy began to cough, turning his head away from the king of Gods. Apollo, on the other side, did not comment at the splatter of red liquid that fell on his clothes. _

_"Very well. I will return the thrones to Hades and Hestia as you wish and we shall claim our demigods as it is your final wish. I was wrong about you, as many were. I thought you would fail because of your parentage, but you are and always shall be one of the greatest heroes, Perceus Jackson. Take my blessing, though it may prove useless. We will find a way to get you out, and then you shall be rewarded as you deserve. I pray that my father is kinder to you than I think he will be, but I also hope you will not suffer long. Good-bye, hero of Olympus." Zeus stepped back as both Percy and Kronos started to fade. Poseidon sobbed as his son disappeared._

_The throne room was silent, deathy silent and only Poseidons heart wrenching sobs filled the air. There was nothing they could do and all of them knew it. Hades, however, almost immediately disappeared, only to return a moment later. _

_"They have both entered Tartarus. There is nothing we can do but wait." Silence fell again, and still, no one said a word. _

_Annabeth, who had stirred as Hades' finished speaking, opened her eyes and took in the sobbing god of the sea before giving out a gasp. Tears trickled down her face and she turned to her mother, who was also crying silently. _

_"Mom, where's Percy?" She asked desperately. When Athena didn't answer, Annabeth's voice became histerical. "Where's Percy?" She asked again, looking around the room at the solemn gods. Finally Ares answered her. _

_"I'm sorry girl, but he's gone." Immediately the daughter of Athena turned to Hades. _

_"Bring him back!" She ordered histerically, and Hades bit back a yell of anger and shook his head. _

_"If I could, I would. But he is in a place that is beyond my control. Only my daughter can save him now." Annabeth knew immediately where he was and she burst into tears. Athena wrapped her in a hug. _

_Annabeth Chase became a stone, not speaking and not showing any emotion. She was an icecube, as Apollo put it. She was broken. _

_XXEnd FlashbackXX_

Kronos bit back a frustrated yell. The boy who destroyed everything wasn't even budging as he released the worst tortures he could imagine to break the boy. Nothing worked. It was as though the gods rid him of the nerve-endings in his body so he couldn't feel pain. And despite Hyperions 'gift' of immortality, the torturers still had to worry about his ability to fade which would save him from their torture for a few decades. Hyperion, who had faded inside the tree, stood behind Kronos as he paced furiously, considering his options.

The boy was loyal to an extreme that Kronos had never seen and it annoyed and impressed him at the same time. Currently, the son of the sea god was being 'entertained' by Prometheus, one of the weakest but most clever of the titans. Even Kronos admitted that the clever titan was, in a sense, the most cruel, always giving an update on the world above, adding a twist.

A bark brought the leader of the titans out of his thoughts. Before him, a black as night hellhound panted almost eagerly, his eyes wide with friendliness. Kronos stared at the beats before smiling cruelly in realization. This mutt, he thought, he knew. He had seen the hellhound in Jacksons' shadow. Immediately, he wondered if the loyalty transfered to pets.

"Do you wish to see your master, little doggy?" The hellhound barked, and followed the titan lord to Jackson's cell.

"- has refused to calm the sea. Your loss hit him hard and in response, he kills the mortals on the earth. Does that make their deaths your fault?" Prometheus stated, not noticing the entrance of Kronos. Percy's eyes flickered with sorrow, but, as always, he remained silent.

"I have a surprise for you." The Titan Lord stated, allowing the hellhound to push past him and bound up to the injured Percy and lick his face. Scrunched up with disgust as the monster slobber covered his face, Kronos recieved the worst glare that the boy had given him since they'd been cast down to Tartarus.

"Mrs. O'Learry, go home." He commanded, though his voice was rasping from lack of use, as he'd said nothing in however long he'd been down here. The over-sized dog barked before giving a bow, glaring at the Titan Lord and disappearing.

"Don't say I do nothing for you, ungrateful brat." Kronos said coldly, though he was pleased that Percy had spoken as it gave him hope that the boy could be forced into talking, if he could have a more permanent visitor to threaten harm to. Percy didn't respond, though a fresh wound on his lip showed the titan that he had stopped himself.

"Finally responding, huh Perce?" Luke Castellan stepped from the shadows where he had been watching. Percy gave him a half-hearted glare, before returning his gaze to the tiles below him.

When Riptide had cast Kronos and Percy into Tartarus, Luke and Kronos had seperated, becoming seperate beings. Almost immediately, the titan granted Luke immortality in return for his service. Luke had quicly become one of Percy's least favorite tormentors because he reminded the prisoner of camp half blood and Annabeth. Though Luke had never hurt Percy unless Kronos ordered him to, the stories that Luke sometimes told were reminders of the past.

"Perceus, look at me." Kronos ordered, only to be ignored. Waving his hand for Luke to force him, the titan considered Percy's silence. "Why are you so stubborn? The gods have abandoned you, your friends won't rescue you, so accept your fate. You stay here as long as I do. Obey and the time could be much more pleasant." Percy gave him a look that said, _You seriously think that I would do that? Get a brain. _Luke punched him in the mouth, shattering his jaw, but Percy said nothing.

Snarling, Kronos grabbed Percy's neck. The kid didn't struggle. Instead, he grinned as mockingly as possible, hoping to force the titan to 'kill' him and release him from Tartarus for a few decades. Unfortunately, that plan failed when Prometheus stopped his Lord by gently grabbing his wrist.

"If you force him to fade, he will escape punishment." Kronos nodded and released the teenager, who instantly gasped for breath. Luke moved from where he stood so that he was slightly behind the titan.

"Still a Seaweed Brain, Jackson? Can't you see that we'd be less forceful if you just obeyed and gave in for once?" He earned a glare.

"You're testing my patience, Perceus jackson." Kronos warned, but Percy did not reply, nor could he because of his broken jaw that was slowly healing. Noticing this, Kronos called for someone to bring him water and pour it over Percy's head. As the liquid coated him, Percy's bone healed itself, but he said nothing.

_Speak to me and you shall be rewarded. _The stubborn kid only flinched as the voice entered his mind. Since nothing was working, Kronos stormed out, leaving Prometheus and Luke to try to get Percy to talk. Nothing worked and so Prometheus and Luke turned to leave.

As they reached the door, Luke paused. "I can see why she fell in love with you, Percy. How do you think she feels now that the only two men she loved abandoned her? Think she's joined the hunt yet?" Percy said nothing and Luke left, leaving the immortal tied up and silent.

A/N: The backstory behind the story- Percy's fate was different than anyone could have guess at the end of TLO. Instead of Rick Riordans awesome ending, I changed it to my own. In this story, the only way to defeat Kronos is to send him to Tartarus. However, the pit and the goddess controlling the pit (you'll meet her later) has cut itself off.

And so, a sacrifice is needed to send anyone into the pit. Due to both Luke and Percy possessing the achille's curse, they were bound together. So, when Percy killed himself, the bond dragged Kronos (who was possessing Luke) back down to Tartarus.

As for the blessings that each of the gods gave him, they will come into affect later, but I'll give you a list now so that if I forget later, you know which one is which.

Demeter: A never ending supply of cereal, whenever he calls it forth.

Dionysus: The ability to temporarily call forth insanity.

Hephaestus: an immunity to fire, more so than he already has.

Aphrodite: the ability to always look good, no matter what.

Ares: The gift to get an opponent mad.

Athena: Enhanced wisdom.

Apollo: Healing powers.

Artemis: Archery abilities.

Hermes: The gift of stealth.

Hera: The blessing of knowing the truth.

Poseidon: Power to control the water molecules in the air.

Zeus: Minor power over the wind and a guaruanteed safe passage through his realm.

Hades: The ability to hide in shadows and safe passage through his realm.

So yeah. Please review. I'm gonna update as soon as possible. If you want to see anything in particular and I haven't written that part yet, I will see if I can work it in.


	2. A chance to save a hero

Disclaimer: Don't own Percy Jackson, Clarisse or anyone else in the stories (except Celeste.) I do, however, own the story line in this story. =)

Warning: Hints of torture, though I won't write anything too explicit.

Ch. 2 The chance to save a hero

"Annabeth Chase!" Heroes lined up against the back wall, watching the rewards ceremony for the heroes of the battle. The atmosphere was not happy, though, because one hero, the best of them all was missing. Word had yet to come from Hades regarding the status of the pit. Said god was watching the procedings with boredom, not caring about any of the gathered heroes save for his son.

"Daughter, you have done well." Athena praised, shrinking to human size and hugging the girl. Annabeth didn't acknowledge it, though, and remained stoic and uncaring. The only reason any of them had been able to get her here was because Thalia had literally dragged her.

"As a reward from your service, we will grant you the position of the architect of Olympus." Annabeth simply watched him, waiting for him to say anything else. "Also, Lady Artemis has offered you a temporary position in the hunt until my nephew can be rescued." Annabeth bowed in the goddesses direction.

"I gladly accept the second offer, my lord. However, I wish to decline the first." The Olympians stared at the girl in shock.

"What do you mean you decline?" Ares snapped from his throne.

"I do not wish to accept the position, Lord Ares. I deny it. I refuse it. That is what I mean." Her voice remained monotonous and very unlike her typical calculating attitude.

"Why, daughter?" Athena asked from her position at Annabeth's side.

"Why should I get to complete my dream when Percy cannot complete his?" With that, Annabeth turned and with a final bow to Zeus, returned to her place within the group of demigods. Many of the gods were mad, but a few knew how she felt. Artemis felt pity for the maiden that she would have to help heal.

Sighing, Zeus decided to call up the next demigod. Before he could do that, however, a hell hound appeared. Immediately, the god moved to kill it, only to be stopped by Hades.

"Mrs. O'Learry, what news is so important that it couldn't wait until after the damned council meeting." The dog barked in response. Whatever she said, Hades grinned and turned to the waiting gods. "Celeste has opened the portal to Tartarus. A quest can be sent to rescue Jackson."

The throne room burst into chaos. Demigods and Gods shouted over one another to be heard. Finally, Zeus released a clap of thunder that drew everyone's attention.

"Now that it is quiet, Apollo, bring Ms. Dare to the throne room if you would." The god of prophecy's disappeared. "Are there any volunteers while we are waiting?" Innediately, four moved from the crowd and knelt at Zeus' feet. Nico di Angelo, pale as always, looked determined. Thalia, with an open smile at her mistress, looked enthusiastic. Annabeth Chase, for the first time in the two months that Percy had been missing, looked hopeful. But the last was the one that was most unexpected. Clarisse La Rue knelt with a focused look on her face.

"Daughter?" Ares questioned, staring at the girl in shock.

"I owe Prissy a debt, dad. I intend to pay it." Clarisse said, turning to look at him with a small grin on her face. Are nodded proudly.

"That's my girl. And when you've rescued him and made sure the brat is safe, punch him and tell him that it's a welcome home gift from me." Many of the gods chuckled. In a bright flash, Apollo appeared, holding Rachel Dare bridal style in his arms. He dropped her and motioned for her to go to Zeus.

"Rachel prepares words Perceus pleads for my help I am so awesome." The Haiku caused lot of people and gods to facepalm but most chose not to respond.

"Welcome back, Apollo." Hermes greeted with a mischievious look, and gestured for the god to take a seat. Most turned to watch as Apollo took a seat in his throne and began to whistle. Hermes grinned, and turned back to the council at large. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Many rolled their eyes and turned back to Zeus who was informing the oracle of the situation.

"I see. And you want a prophecy, my Lord?" Rachel deduced when he finished. Zeus nodded. The girl turned back to the group and studied each in turn. Her eyes met Clarisse's and suddenly glowed green.

"Five Shall Travel through Hade's domain, By a goddess's hand, two shall suffer pain A trial by fear shall rescue two Beware a scythe's power to rue Olympus's hero waits in chains To be rescued by Olympus' bane Nine shall return from the quest alive Find old friends who no longer thrive."

Rachel collapsed and everyone turned to Zeus, waiting for a command. He hesitated and looked through the crowd of demigods. "It seems we need one more person for the quest." Silence echoed as a girl pushed her way forward. Katie Garner knelt with determination, her eyes bright and defiant.

"My daughter?" Demeter questioned, only to recieve a sharp nod.

"Percy is someone I admire, mom. He needs help and I can grant it, and so I will and I must." Demeter nodded in approval.

"Very good, daughter. You clearly have been eating cereal." Katie grinned and nodded before turning to Zeus who was watching her with curiousity before he shrugged it off. If she had volunteered, then she was worthy, he figured.

Mrs. O'Learry barked again, bringing all attention to her. Hades turned and listened to the monster. His eyes darkened with anger. Zeus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The scene you will find won't be pretty, heroes. Be very careful when you rescue him. Kronos has not been kind. If nothing else, you can kill him." Annabeth turned and stared at the King of the Dead in anger.

"What the-" Just as Poseidon snapped a command.

"You will not murder my son." Hades let out a sigh and snapped his fingers angrily. An image from Tartarus appeared, as was his power now that his daughter had allowed the power to extend into her realm, which she guarded jealously. Percy hung in celestial bronze chains, and his wrists clearly had skin peeled away. His chest had scars that leaked blood. Zeus let out a snarl of fury at the same time that Poseidon let loose a roar.

"I'll destroy him." For once, all three brothers agreed with each other. Kronos had made Percy immortal and he was bleeding golden ichor. Poseidon wanted to rush to his son but given where Percy was, it would only trap the god of the sea as well.

"See what I mean now, brothers? Kill him and he'll be released for a few decades. Sure, thats a few decades but we can engenier it so that he will return to Olympus rather than Tartarus. So, if all else fails, kill him." Hades leaned back in his throne. Annabeth's lips quivered with emotion and Thalia help back tears. Clarisse and Nico felt anger and Katie released a breath, strengthening her resolve to go to Tartarus for her hero.

Mrs. O'Learry barked again and Hades dissolved the image, turning back to the mutt. "It seems that Luke Castellan is also immortal." Hades said out loud. Annabeth and Thalia shifted stances, both feeling mixed emotions towards the traitor.

"What else?" Athena asked when the dog barked again. Hades sighed.

"I'm not on the council to be a translator." Poseidon raised an eyebrow and Zeus let loose a glare. "Fine. It seems that Percy is making it worse for himself because he refuses to talk." He snapped, not expecting a positive reaction from any of the gods. The only surprize came from Athena who beamed.

"It seems my blessing is helping him after all." She said with a smile. Most of the gods looked at her like she was crazy. Athena sighed. "As long as Percy defies the Titans, they will keep their attention on breaking him and not trying to change his views. It will also make tehm single-mindedly focus their attention on _him _and not escape. Currently, the titans will want information and because Percy has had contact with all of the gods at one time or another, he is the perfect person to ask. Thus, as long as he remains silent, grandfather and the rest remain in the dark."

Apollo stared at her open mouthed.

"Athena is wise, She knows lots of strategies, I am so awesome." Athena turned and glared at the god of poetry. Hermes burst into laughter, also earning a glare.

Annabeth smiled and let loose a smile. "Even in Tartarus, Seaweed Brain protects us. Only him." The rest of the group of five who heard her nodded in agreement. Only Percy would go so far to help them.

Zeus slammed a bolt of lightenting onto the ground to gain the attention of the watchers who all immediately turned.

"This quest will be beyond dangerous. Especially to mortals. Unfortuantely, I can grant you no aid with that. My advice is to avoid the titans as best as you can, and if you cannot, to run to the veil that protects Celeste's castle." Annabeth raised her hadn and Zeus nodded.

"My lord, you've mentioned the name Celeste many times but never explained who she is. Could you tell us that?" Zeus nodded once and turned to Hades, silently ordering him to tell the demigods who she was.

"Celeste is my daughter, and the guardian of Tartarus. She is also often called Azrael. She is the goddess who prevents the condemned from leaving the pit and it is her who determines who can pass her 'veil' to her castle. Very few have the oppurtunity to meet her because she prefers her realm to any other. She alone can grant one the oppurtunity to leave Tartarus." Hades explained grudgingly. Poseidon sighed and spoke.

"I will grant the quest nine pearls which they will recieve later. Percy knows how to use them. Annabeth, I believe you do as well. The pearls should grant you the power to leave the pit. Kronos will not be able to use them because they are for demigods, either immortal or mortal. Do not lose them, though. Once you are down there, there will be many demi-god traitors. Any one of them would be glad to escape." Zeus nodded to his brother.

"Rescue Mr. Jackson and return to us. I leave the rest up to you. This will not be a pleasant quest, but I wish you the best." The five were instantly transfered to Camp Half-Blood. They parted to grab the equipment they would need, before meeting at the front gate. Argus waited, with five bags lying beside him.

Thalia picked up her's first, which was a combination of silver and gold. Inside, there was a new bow, a silvery, thin suit of armor and a envelope with five plane tickets inside, as well as a note.

_Dear Daughter, _

_I am not granting Nico di Angelo permanent leave into my domain. However, I believe that it would be fastest if you took a plane to L.A. and so there are five plane tickets for you. When you arrive at the airport, the ticket will change itself to the closest flight best suiting your needs. They are first class so do not lose them. _

_Your father_

_Lord Zeus_

Thalia grinned and passed the note to Nico who read it with a smile. He sent a prayer of thanks to his uncle.

Nico grabbed his pack next. The outside was black with a single skull outlined in dark grey. Inside, there was a second stygian sword that tranformed into a skull ring. He aslo had a lightweight suit of armor, though his was black. He also had a note.

_Nico,_

_Celeste will notice you immediately. Be kind to her and she will not harm you. Take care of the armor. You will likely need it. _

_Lord Hades._

All of them turned to Annabeth who opened her gray knapsack next. Inside were blueprints of Tartarus with circles over the areas that Percy could be located. Her mother had also gifted her with a bracelet that that transformed into a laptop with more information on Tartarus.

_Daughter, _

_The laptop will give you information relevent to your quest and it will automatically update when you get a new one. Be careful._

_Lady Athena_

Katie opened hers next. Inside, she had gloves for gardening and boxes of cereal. She too had a note.

_Katie,_

_The gloves will give you the ability to control plants much larger than normal. Please do be safe and eat lots of cereal. _

_Your mother, Demeter_

All of them turned to Clarisse who opened her blood red bag. Inside was a pair of guantlets and Silena's knife. Clarisse stared at in surprise before she found the note that Ares had left. His was, surprisingly the longest and the most detailed.

_Clarisse, _

_I couldn't let the other gods/goddesses upstage me, huh? Anyway, the guantlets will protect your hands so if you ever lose you spear or if the punk breaks it again, you can just punch him in the face. As for the knife, I know its not really your style, but I figured that I could change it up a bit for you. Aphrodite and Hephaestus both blessed 'll change into an electric charged spear like the one Jackson broke. Also, it can give a reflection. Don't know how this'll be helpful but you never know. Do good kid. _

_Ares_

Clarisse grinned and moved to pile into the camp van. The others followed quickly. All of them prepared themselves for the pit of eternal suffering.

(A/N) So here's chapter 2. As you can see, Ares is a bit OOC but I figured that I should make him a bit more daddy-like sense he shows that he really can care for Clarisse.

Next chapter: the demigod's prepare to go on the quest and they enter the pit. Don't expect much action for a bit although I will be switching back to Percy sometime soon. That could be next chapter but I honestly don't know.

Anyway, drop me a review if you see any grammer mistake or spelling mistakes. Let me know if you have any questions or not. See ya soon.


	3. The quest travels to Tartarus

Warning: Hints of torture and could get gory. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Disclaimer: Rick Rordan owns Percy Jackson and the Olympians and all characters in the book. The only things I own are Celeste and the story line.

Ch. 3 The quest heads to Tartarus

"Perseus, I really do admire your resolve, but is it truly necessary? I do not wish to have to break you." Kronos' smile said the opposite and Percy simply gave him a mocking grin that challenged him to try. Both of them knew that the Titan Lords' patience was wearing thin. Luke backed up as Kronos let loose a snarl of anger.

He punched the young hero in the jaw, purposefully rendering him unable to speak even if he wanted to. Percy gave a small flinch in response, but nothing more. Annoyed beyond belief, Kronos summoned his scythe and made a small cut on Percy's arm.

"For mortals and demigods, one cut can end a persons life. However, for an immortal," He made a second cut on his arm. "It causes unending pain that won't stop" He made a third cut, "Until I tell it to."

True to his word, the pain was intense. Percy whimpered for the first time since his imprisonment. The fluctuating agony that the cuts caused were beyond what it felt to hold the sky. He knew that the Titan Lord was watching and knew that the only way to stop the pain was to ask.

And Percy refused to do that. So, he suffered and suffered. The pain came randomly, sometimes simply resonating through his body, easily ignored. Other times, the pain was so intense that it was the only thing able to be focused on. Kronos just watched and waited, testing the resolve of the demigod again and again.

Luke came and went, always staying back behind the titan and always wearing a look that could be mistaken for pity, if Percy didn't know any better. Letiing loose a raspy gasp for breath and moving his jaw slightly, causing even more pain to shoot through him, Percy gave Luke a pleading look. _'Do something. Please.' _The child of Hermes gave an imperceptible nod before speaking for the first time in however long the pain had occured for.

"My Lord, you will break his mind if you continue this." Kronos turned to the young boy beside him.

"I suppose you are correct, child of Hermes." Luke's face tightened, but he simply gave a nod. Kronos summoned his scythe a muttered 'stop' in ancient greek. "Perseus, I would advise that you give up soon, but I know it will do no good. Eventually though, you will give in and tell me what I wish to know. Only then, will I end your torment." Percy gave a nod of understanding but said nothing. Kronos turned and left.

"I'm sorry, Perce. But he won't stop trying. I was lucky that he listened to me. Just talk, Percy. It would be so much easier for you." Luke turned and disappeared after his master.

Percy's head bowed down and he began to sob, heartbroken sobs.

_On the Quest_

Nico clutched the handrests as though they were a lifeline. Clarisse sat by the window beside him and Thalia sat on the other side of the aisle, looking just as scared. Katie and Annabeth sat behind them, discussing the prophecy.

"Well, for certain, one of the nine will be Percy. There's no doubt since he's the one we are going to rescue. I can't help but wonder if the goddess is Lady Celeste, like the Big Three were talking about. But why would we suffer pain from her. From that they aid, she's pretty peaceful." Annabeth commented. Katie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. She sounds pretty nice. And the pain and the fear part of the prophecy doesn't seem nice. But I guess we'll just have to wonder what it means later." Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"Katie, I'm sorry if I seem rude, but why did you volunteer? I mean Thalia, Nico and I are obvious and Clarisse owes him a debt, but you never seemed that close to Percy." Katie just gave a sad smile.

"I never really was close to him, but I always admired him. From the day he entered camp, he was already making a name for himself. At first I was really jealous. As a son of Poseidon, he automatically earned respect from everyone whereas I was doomed forever to remain in mom's cabin, forgotten and considered weak. But I quickly changed my mind. He was accused from the beginning just because he was a kid of the Big Three and in the first two years, he faced more death sentences than the rest of us and survived. The reason that I'm here, Annabeth, is because I want to show him that we care just as much as he does."

Annabeth gave her a confused look.

"Demeter's cabin is often ignored, Annabeth. But Percy included us in the war and while I wasn't one of his best friends, I feel honored that he made that sacrifice for Camp Half-Blood. All along, he's suffered alone because of the prophecy. It's time to show him that we all really are there." Annabeth gave her a small smile.

"You're a great friend, Katie." The daughter of Demeter smiled brightly at the daughter of Athena.

"You too, Annabeth. You too." The girls continued their conversation, ignoring the three others in front of them who were currently having a very different discussion.

"Chill out, dead boy. Why in Hades' would Zeus give us first class tickets on a plane if he intended to blast us to bits. Stop being a wuss." Nico didn't bother responding, though in his head he frowned at the use of his dad's name. Thalia joined in.

"Dad granted you permission to fly, Nic. It's okay this once." Nico bobbed his head once in agreement, though he remained silent and scared for his life. There was a very good reason for his fear. The only time that Zeus had ever let a child of Hades or Poseidon fly was when Percy had the master bolt. This quest was much less important to the king of the gods' and thus Nico was more expendable than Percy at the time.

"Attention Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be landing in 30 minutes. Please make sure that you remain seated with your seat belts are fastened and that all electronic devices turned off. Thank you for joining us on the American Airlines and enjoy your stay in L.A." The intercom turned off and Nico closed his eyes, praying for the fiftieth time to his uncle to let them land safely. He was not however expecting a response.

_Calm down boy. I swear on the Styx that your plane will land safely. Now leave me alone. _Zeus' voice disappeared but Nico let a grin appear on his face. Thalia and Clarisse looked at him, a bit worried.

"Nico?" Thalia questioned, not understanding his expression.

"Your dad is losing his touch, Thals. Letting a kid of Hades fly through his realm. Is he going soft?" A bolt of lightning struck down beside Clarisse's window. Thalia glared at him.

"Be kind to my father, Nico. Or else he'll kill us all." Nico gave a light grin before relaxing in his seat and closing his eyes, ready for the plane to land. And soon it did, dropping all of them off at the L.A terminal. Nico was the first off the plane, followed by the rest of his friends.

The five of them headed immediately down to baggage claim and grabbed their bags. "So whatdo we do now, dead boy." Clarisse asked, turning to the son of Hades.

"I can Shadow-travel us to the underworld." Nico suggested, shrugging his shoulders. The others agreed readily and moved towards him. All except Thalia who was turned the opposite way with a grin on her face.

"Brother." She said softly, before pointing at the messenger god Hermes who was holding up a sign that said 'Grace.' The demigod's changed their minds and headed over to him, each greeting him with a grin and a small bow.

"Come along, Ms. Grace and friends. The limo you ordered is outside." Watching bystanders commented on them as they walked past, guessing that they were the children of billionares or some celebrity. Hermes opened the door and motioned for the demigods to get in before moving to the drivers seat and gliding off.

"Lord Hermes, why are you here?" Thalia asked, turning in her seat so she could look at him. Hermes smirked at the girl before him.

"Dad sent me with Uncle P's pearls." The god gestured to the ice tank in he back where nine beautiful pearls glittered innocently in the water on the bottom. "I'm to make sure you get to DOA studios safely." All five of them nodded, and relaxed in the vehicle before it came to a smooth stop in front of the studios. "Welcome to the underworld. Please do succeed. I want my favorite cousin back." All of them laughed and piled out.

"Thanks, bro." Thalia said softly as she exited last. Hermes gave her a gentle smile.

"Anytime, my sister. Anytime." Thalia inclined her head and raced to catch up with her friends who were currently arguing with Charon.

"Only the dead can enter." Nico looked pissed off but bit back the retort he wanted to say, instead choosing to pound his fist on the podium.

"I am the son of your lord, Charon. You will obey me." Nico snapped angrily. The others beside him just turned to the skeleton who let out a sigh.

"As I've said, my lord, I will gladly let _you _pass. Your friends, however, are not welcome." Nico let out an angry hiss and stared at the gate-keeper with so much anger that he changed his mind. "This way, my lord. All of you pile into the elevator." Each of them obeyed quietly, stepping beside the angry son of Hades.

When they reached the other side, Nico turned on the servant of his father. "Disobey me like that again, Charon, and father will hear of it. I swear it on the Styx." The servant apologized quickly before turning around and departing as fast as possible. As soon as he was gone, Nico let out a grin. "I hate that guy."

Clarisse and Annabeth agreed immediately. Katie stepped forward, gaining all of the quests attention. "Wher do we go now, Nico?" Nico grinned and led them to the pit where Percy was.

_Nico. Pray to your sister Celeste and ask for permission to enter. She should grant it and give you minimal protection from the Titans. The rest is up to you. _Hades instructed inside his head. Obeying, Nico sent a quick prayer to the pit and a black staircase appeared before them.

_"Enter if you dare, my brother and his allies. Rescue the Lost One, and return him to the surface. However, please take the hunter to see me. I have something I wish to discuss with her." _The voice disappeared and all of them shrugged though Thalia looked nervously at Nico. In typical Clarisse style, the daughter of Ares shoved her way through and descended the steps first, followed quickly by Thalia. The other three followed as well, prepared to face the Pit of Tartarus.

XXXXXXXXXX

Percy nearly cried when Kronos entered with his scythe. He knew that the Titan Lord would restart the torture if he did not speak but Percy refused to do so, closing his mouth and ignoring his impulse to just give in. Luke stood slightly behind him with a frown on his face.

Kronos approached and glared at the chained immortal. His eyes traveled down the boys injured body before meeting his eyes.

"Five of your friends have just entered the pit." Kronos announced and Percy felt the blood drain from his body. Athena's old words '_to save a friend, you would sacrifice the world,' _ran through his mind. Kronos smirked at the boy in front of them, and Luke bit his lip behind him. "Speak up, Perseus, or I will kill them all."

Percy closed his eyes and sent a prayer of apology to the goddess of wisdom. "W-what *cough* would you like me to say?" Kronos laughed a bone-chilling laugh and strode up to Percy, tilting his head down to meet his gaze. Percy bit back the rash part of his mind telling him to fight it.

"My dear, dear Perseus, I want you to tell me what you know of the Goddess of Time." Percy lifted an eyebrow in sincere confusion. He had no idea there even was a goddess for time. After all, surely she would rule the gods like Kronos had if she had control over that domain. Little did he know, Kronos had used part of his limited powers to read those thoughts. "You do not know of her?"

Percy shook his head.

"Allow me to inform you, then. She is my eldest daughter, and the most powerful of my children. Alone, she could defeat me in combat regardless of the weapon used. With her siblings, no being could defeat her. When the war started, both her brothers and I were desperate to have her on our side due to her intense powers. See, I did not eat her like I did the other sibings, for she was and is my favorite. In any event, when war broke out, she chose to remain nuetral."

The Titan studied Percy's face, which was tightened in confusion. He seemed intrigued by the mystery goddess. Behind him, Luke was also listening.

"I was disappointed in her choice, but did not begrudge her anything for I genuinely loved her, as did Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. After the war, when I lost, the big three offered her a council seat. She denied it, claiming that if she accepted, she would be forced later on to take a side in a war and as she was inherently nuetral, this was not something she desired. She disappeared afterwards and neither I nor my sons have been able to locate her."

Luke stepped forward slightly, moving to his masters side and tilting his head downwards in respect. "What does this have to do with Perseus, my lord?" The demigod asked. The Titan lord turned to him and smirked.

"I simply wondered if he had seen her." Percy shook his head immediately, knowing the answer. "Hmm... Too bad." The Lord mused and turned to leave. Percy's voice stopped him.

"What's her name?" The Titan turned back and grinned.

"Serenity." With that he exited. Percy turned to Luke.

"Who came, Luke? Please, tell me." He begged, watching the demigods' eyes. Luke narrowed his gaze and tilted his head to the sky.

"Nico Di Angelo, Clarisse La Rue, Katie Gardner, Thalia Grace and-" He was cut off by a dagger at his throat and the sound of a slamming door.

"Annabeth Chase." The blonde finished from behind him, her lips curved in a feral smile.

**(A/N) Serenity will have a big part to play later in the story but for now, I'm just introducing her. At any rate, soon the quest will reach Percy. The question is, how much trouble will they have in reaching him and will they be able to rescue him?**

**For an overview of my OC's, since I'm adding them in, I'll put in a list so you can know them. **

**Celeste: Guardian of Tartarus and Goddess of Darkness. She protects the pit and has the power to interfere with anyone new to the pit after a month. (Percy's been there 3 weeks so far)**

**Serenity: Goddess of Time and favorite daughter of Kronos as well as favorite sister of the Big Three. She has been missing since the conclusion of the First Titan War and both the Olympians and Titans want to locate her. **


	4. Luke greets a god

Warning: Hints at Torture

Discalimer: Don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians though I can certainly dream.

Ch. 4 Luke greets a god

Percy greeted his best friend with a weak smile, even as she pressed the knife into Luke's throat. The traitor could do nothing as Nico apporached the chain, but before the boy could cut them, Luke spoke to him.

"I wouldn't do that, son of Hades." He warned, his voice stable with no fear present. In fact, he looked pleased at the other demigod's presence. Nico stopped and turned to him. The door began to shake and Kronos could be heard on the other side. Annabeth turned and gave orders to stablize the entrance and Clarisse, Thalia and Katie rushed to obey. Luke glanced back at the door before returning his attention to Percy.

"Why not?" Clarisse demanded, satisfied that the door would hold. Luke gave her a small smile and lifted his wrist, pointing at a small mark on each of the cuffs holding Percy's hands above his head. Nico moved to study them and noticed small scythe's engraved on each of them.

"What do they mean?" Nico asked and Luke gave a wry grin, ignoring Clarisse's anger and Thalia's steady glare.

"That anyone that tries to open the cuffs that doesn't have Kronos' scythe charm or the blessing of Kronos or _is _Kronos will die a bloody and horrible death." The response got the desired affect as Nico stepped away from the cuffs. Thalia stepped forward, pointing her spear at his chest.

"I assume that you still have the scythe charm, Luke?" The kid shook his head.

"Nope. But I am a blessed of Kronos, and thus can open the chains, if you desire. However, only on one condition." Clarisse began to refuse but was cut off by Katie who joined the conversation meekly.

"What is your condition?" She asked softly, gaining his attention.

"That I come with you when you leave." The refusal was unanimous but surprisingly, Percy calmed everyone down with a loud 'shut up.' The chained up demigod studied Luke unabashedly before sighing.

"Swear on the Styx that you will never betray any of the six of us again and we'll accept." Luke made the vow and stepped forward, releasing the boy from his prison. Immediately, Percy's legs gave out and Luke was the only one close enough to catch him. Percy looped an arm around the traitors neck and tried to stay on his feet. Noticing that Percy couldn't stand at all, Luke swept him into his arms and carried him to a nearby chair that he often occupied.

Percy sat and almost immediately, his world went black.

When he woke up, the six other demigods were discussing their next move. "We need to get Percy out of here, but Thalia also needs to go meet my sister. It's almost best if we split up at this point." Nico stated, surveying the others.

"I'll go with Percy." Annabeth volunteered but Thalia shook her head.

"We need you down here, Annabeth. You have your mother blueprints and are the only one able to read them.

"But Luke can guide you." She argued. Thalia turned and gave a distasteful glare at her old friend, causing him to wince.

"I'll not be led around by a boy that I don't trust, Annabeth. That would be suicide. Besides, Luke needs to go to the surface with Percy or Poseidon will kill him the instant he enters the ocean." Annabeth sighed but gave in.

"I'll go with Prissy and Castellan." Clarisse stated, breaking up any further arguments on the matter. Everyone looked at her in shock but she shrugged. "I don't trust Castellan. If he tried to kill Percy, we need someone who can protect him till he can protect himself. I can do that." Thalia nodded.

"Is it agreed then? Nico, Annabeth, Katie and I stay here. Percy, Luke and Clarisse go to the surface." All of them nodded and Thalia handed a pearl to Luke and two to Clarisse. Percy struggled to sit up, and held out his hand for his own pearl, which Clarisse gave him willingly.

Before they stepped on the pearls, Luke gave a last piece of advice. "Lady Celeste has an underground system of tunnels that she lets the pure of heart use. There is an entrance somewhere in this room that will take you straight to her and help you avoid Kronos. If you meet him, run. He has been here longer and knows the advantages of the prison. You do not, and that will work against you. Only Nico can stand up to him here because Nico is Lady Celeste's brother and thus, only a fool or an arrogant titan would attack him." Thalia nodded in thanks as the three stepped on their pearls and floated out of the prison.

Kronos caught sight of them as they drifted up and let out a bellow of rage when he saw his trusted lieutenant take off with his prisoner. _You'll regret betraying me, Castellan. _He snarled inside of the three demigod's minds. _As for you, Jackson, there will come a time soon when you will need the help that only I can provide. When that happens, you know where to find me. _He cut off the connection and yelled out a command to the troops as the three journeyed out of sight.

Percy let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as they passed the entrance. Lord Hades stood there, flanked by the three furies. The god took note of Percy's companions and lack thereof. _Is that Luke Castellan? _Percy nodded and sent an explanation back in his thoughts. _Do not trust him, nephew. _He advised. He studied Clarisse before asking a second question. _Is my son alright? _Again, Percy explained in his mind and Hades nodded when he finished. _Very well. He should return soon enough, then. Welcome home, Perseus Jackson. I am in your debt for returning my throne. _

'No, my lord, you are not. It was the least I can do considering you saved countless demigod lives by aiding in the war. It is I who is in your debt.' Hades laughed.

_So humble. So foolish. I suppose Hestia and Artemis were correct about you. You are different. I wish you luck. When I blessed you, I granted you free travel through my kingdom. Use it wisely. _Percy nodded as his bubble reached the ceiling and Hades was out of sight. He turned to Luke and Clarisse, who were both looking nervously above them. Neither one of them was excited about entering the rough seas, which had been saddened by the loss of one of its own. The mortal world had suffered from Poseidon's wrath.

Luke was more worried about Poseidon's reaction. While he had faith that Percy would protect him to some extent from his father, the god of the sea was not likely to be happy by the presence of the traitor. The bubbles entered the ocean and Luke's nerves grew.

Percy smiled broadly at the sight of blue and let out a laugh, glad to return to the surface. He had no idea how long he had been down there and did not wish to know. In the end, all that mattered was that he was home.

The instant they reached the surface, the sea began to stir restlessly, in excitement, Luke ad Clarisse guessed.

Percy dove into the water, leaving the others to tread water as best they could. Beneath them, Three dolphins were in discussion with the demigod.

_My Lord, Lord Poseidon wishes us to bring you to him. _One stated eagerly. Percy nodded.

_Can you take my friends to the shore while I go visit my father? _Percy requested, tilting his head to the side.

_Lord Poseidon wishes that all three of you go to his palace. You will need to surround them in air though, my lord, as they are not of the sea. _Percy nodded in agreement.

_I will do so. I'll call you when I'm ready. _The dolphin nodded and Percy floated back to the shore. Clarisse looked at him curiously while Luke's face showed worry.

"Dad wants us to go to Atlantis. We've got rides waiting below." Clarisse looked at him like he was from a different planet.

"Hate to break it to you, Prissy, but Castellan and I can't breathe underwater." She recieved an eyeroll.

"Of course you can't. I'll suround you both in a bubble of air. But you'll both have to stay close to me. Dive below and I'll handle the rest." Clarisse obeyed immediately and Luke followed after a glare from Percy told him that he really didn't have another choice. Percy focused on the water and created an air bubble for them.

The dolphins instantly let them grab their fins and took off towards Atlantis. By the time they reached there, Luke was white as a sheet and shaking slightly. Poseidon wasn't likely to be as forgiving as his son and there was little doubt in his mind that the god of the sea would kill him immediately. Percy sent him a worried glance as the sea creature dropped them off at the palace and swam off.

"You good, Luke?" he asked, moving closer to him. Clarisse just rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward.

"Come on, traitor. Let's go see your daddy, Prissy." She pulled the son of Hermes forward and Percy followed immediately, only to be stopped when his half-brother stepped in the way. Triton hadn't changed much at all. He still looked as though he was king of the sea and Percy tensed, remembering their last meeting.

"Perseus." The immortal greeted, bowing his head slightly in greeting. Clarisse let go of Luke as Percy moved between them, taking the lead.

"Triton." He greeted formally, uncertain what to expect.

"You are my father's bastard." Clarisse snarled from behind him but Triton held up a hand, silencing her. "Poseidon's demigod son and the proof of my mothers pain." He continued, ignoring the others. Percy just nodded, uncertain as to where he was going with this. "And yet," He stated, moving forward and staring at Percy's eyes which were a mirror of his own. "You went to Tartarus to save the gods and gained minor gods more respect as well as aiding two major gods with Olympian status that they had been denied."

Percy just nodded, not sure what to say at the unexpected semi-praise.

"Fiercely loyal, like all children of Poseidon, aren't you, Perseus?" He didn't give Percy time to respond. "When we met before, I did not like you, Perseus Jackson. Now, I'm not so sure. But I suppose it would not hurt to call you brother." Percy stated at him in shock. "After all, we do share the blood of Poseidon, do we not?" The god turned and summoned a merman. "Please escort these two demigods," he waved at Clarisse and Luke, "to the sitting room. My brother and I must go see our father." The man nodded.

"Percy?" Clarisse asked questioningly, uncertain if she should follow Triton's command.

"Go, Clarisse. I'll see you soon." She nodded and turned to follow the merman, Luke close behind.

Triton motioned for Percy to follow and headed towards the throne room, where Poseidon waited impatiently. He opened the doors and motioned for Percy to enter.

Immediately, the god of the sea embraced him in a hug. "Percy! My boy! Welcome home." He said over and over again, almost in tears. Percy hugged the god back just as tightly, glad to see a familiar face.

"Let the boy go, my lord, else you suffocate him," a distinctly feminine voice advised and Poseidon obeyed sheepishly, rubbing his hand at the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Percy." Percy just nodded with a grin and turned to the Queen of the Sea who studied him curiously.

"Perseus." She greeted from her throne.

"Lady Amphitrite." He said with a small bow. She waved him forward and Poseidon stepped back, watching the interaction curiously.

"I do not approve of your existance." Percy tensed and opened his mouth to speak but the goddess cut him off. "However, that is not your fault." She sent a glare at her husband. "I admit, Perseus, I may have judged you too harshly. Perhaps, I was wrong." Percy stared at her in shock. This was the second time one of his most unlikely step-family members accepted him and he had no idea what to say.

"Amphitrite..." Poseidon stated in surprise but she silenced him with her hand.

"This does not mean I like you, Perseus." Percy nodded. "But, I believe I would like to get to know you a bit better. perhaps you are different as the rumors say." Percy bowed again.

"It would be my honor, my lady." Amphitrite nodded.

"Then you shall stay awhile, Perseus. Your friends as well. Oh, and you can drop the air bubble around them." Percy obeyed hesitantly and she laughed at his expression. "Do not worry, child, I have supplanted it with my own." Percy grinned at her in thanks.

"Mother, perhaps we should give father and brother some privacy?" Triton asked, joining the conversation. The woman nodded and swam to her son.

"Very well. I shall send for you soon, Perseus." The two dissappeared, leaving Poseidon and Percy alone.

"That was unexpected." Poseidon muttered, causing Percy to burst into laughter and nod.

"But not unpleasant, dad. I would much rather have a brother and a step-mother than two enemies within my fathers palace." Poseidon agreed wholeheartedly.

"One question before we catch up on the war, Percy. Why in Hades' name is Luke Castellan in my palace and not in chains. Were it not for you and Clarisse's presence, he would have been killed and sent back to Tartarus." And so, Percy explained. At the end, Poseidon looked thoughtful.

He motioned for a servant to come forward. "Yes, my lord?"

"Send for Luke Castellan if you would." The man nodded and Percy looked worriedly at his father.

"Dad..." Poseidon waved him away.

"He will not be harmed, Percy. I simply wish to... speak with him." The demigod nodded hesitantly and waited for the traitor to come in. His father said nothing, hesitant to break the silence.

"My Lord, Luke Castellan, as you requested." The servant stated, bowing to Poseidon. Luke entered behind, paling at Poseidons' presence. He bowed as well and remained that way as the god of the sea studied him. Percy stayed silent.

"Luke Castellan." Poseidon stated ominously. Percy shifted nervously, afraid (despite his dislike of the traitor) for Luke's life. "You betrayed Olympus." Luke squirmed but kept his eyes on the floor. "You also nearly killed my son multiple times. And yet, my son still welcomes your presence and protects you from me."

Luke shifted uncertainly.

"Why did you rescue my child from his chains, Luke? Had you allowed Nico to try to break the chains, he would've died. The rest would've followed soon enough." The god stared at the kneeling boy before him, uncertain as to his feelings.

"Lord Poseidon, I saw what Kronos did. Not just to Percy but to the Titans that failed. Prometheus, Hyperion, even Krios, who did nothing, all of them were punished severely. Worse, I think, than what Lord Zeus would've done for any failure. As for why I rescued Percy, I began to admire him more than any other. He refused to speak, refused to yeild, and refused to break. Had that been me, I have no doubt by the end of the second torture, I would've given in. When I was given the option to save him, I took it."

Poseidon watched him warily before turning and striding to his throne. "Rise, child of Hermes. I deem your explanation acceptable." Luke stood with a small grateful smile. "However, I will only allow you to remain on the surface under one condition." Luke tensed but inclined his head.

Percy had no control over this situation and Luke knew he was on his own. "What condition, my Lord?" Poseidon smiled.

"Swear an oath of servitude to my son." Percy protested immediately but Poseidon and Luke cut him off with a glare.

"I, Luke Castellan, swear on the river Styx to remain forever loyal to Perseus Jackson, doing as he commands. I swear to never betray him or Olympus, no matter what."

Percy snarled angrily but was again cut off by Poseidon. "Peace, Percy. It is the only way I would have let him live." Luke turned and gave a crooked smile to his friend.

"Besides, I owe you more than I can ever say, Perce." The hero just hissed. The doors opened and Triton entered, his tails swishing behind him.

"Perseus, Ares' daughter demands that you visit the infirmary." Percy sighed but left with a goodbye to his dad, leaving Luke alone with the god.

"Luke, I must say I am surprised." Poseidon stated from his throne, his eyes resting on the former traitor. Luke just shrugged.

"It wasn't that much to ask, my lord. Percy isn't the type to abuse an oath like that so I know that he won't treat me badly. Besides, as I said, I owe him this much and a lot more. After all the trouble I've caused, he still saved me. And for that, I will be eternally in his debt." Poseidon grinned at the passionate speech.

"I believe you, child." The god stated confidently. "I must inform my brother that our champion has returned to us. I believe, however, that I will refrain from mentioning your presence. For now. Do not disappoint me, Luke. I would not take it well." WIth that he disappeared in bubbles and Luke collapsed in relief. One god down, thirteen more to go.

(A/N) So Luke's now Percy's slave =) And Percy's been saved. But what about the others. I know this chapter isn't filled with much action but I thought it would be needed to understand why Poseidon didn't blast Luke to pieces.

Review and Let me know if you want the conversation with Ampitrite to take place in the story or not. I don't care either way.

And stay tuned. I should update either later today or tomorrow at the latest.


	5. Nico's sister comes in to Play

Warning: Hints of Torture

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians and that's probably a very good thing.

Ch. 5 Nico's Sister comes in to Play

_Tartarus_

Thalia, Nico, Katie and Annabeth ran quietly through the tunnel, away from Percy's prison and hopefully the titan lord. Annabeth had quickly taken the lead as she had the maps from Athena. Nico had quickly taken the lead, pointing to a part on the map that was clearly indicated to be seperated from the rest by a small but dark line.

"Father said that she had an unpenetrale barrier around her palace. The only people that she lets through are her siblings and people she deems 'pure.'" Thalia raised an eyebrow at that.

"So you have to be a maiden." Nico shook his head.

"No. Pure of heart, dufus." Thalia glared but sighed.

"Do we pass her requirements then?" Katie asked, cutting off the argument about to start. Despite not being the typical man-hating huntress, Thalia did not like Nico all that much. Of course, the feeling was mutual.

"We should, given that she summoned Thalia. I think that Annabeth and you will as well, but I don't know. All I know is she asked for me to bring Thalia to her." The others nodded.

"Guys." Annabeth said, turning around and staring behind them. Thalia turned to her.

"What is it, Annie?" The girl paled and began to back up.

"There's something coming!" She said, backing uop further. Katie and Thalia followed and left Nico staring down the tunnel with a frown on his face. Even as the girls began to run he stood there.

Katie stopped when she noticed. "Nico, come on!" She yelled but the boy turned to face her.

"No need. Nothing down here will harm me. My sister would slaughter them." Katie backed up further.

"That's great for you but its not the same for us." Chilling laughter echoed from the tunnel behind them. "Nico, we need to catch up. Come on, please." Nico nodded and turned to run next to Katie. Whatever it was behind them, it was catching up. The son of Hades skidded to a stop behind Annabeth and Thalia who were staring at a wall of black with trepidation. Behind them, the creature from the tunnel showed itself as Hyperion, Titan of the Light.

"I found you, brats." He said, his lips twisted in a cruel smile.

_Brother, take your friends and pass through the veil if you wish to remain uninjured. _A voice pierced the demigods heads as Hyperion approached slowly. Nico motioned for them to go through desperately and Thalia and Annabeth obeyed immediately.

Katie paused before following turning and watching as Nico backed away from the angry titan.

"Go Katie." He snapped and she frowned but obeyed passing through into a beautiful oasis. The sky was red like the rest of Taratarus and a dark black victorian style castle flickered in the distance. A line of back roses bloomed on either side of the walkway, where a beautiful woman stood, her hair flowing down to her waist and her eyes a haunting red.

She gazed through the three girls before her eyes wandered past the barrier and narrowed. "Pardon me, demigods and huntress. It seems I need to teach Hyperion his place." Her voice was ringing and beautiful, piercing their minds and echoing. It was clear this was a goddess and all of them knelt.

She strode past them, her black and red gown floated on the ground behind her. She passed through the veil and appeared beside the titan of light.

Nico was in pain. Most likely, Hyperion had broken his leg when he kicked him. Either way, it hurt badly and Nico knew instinctively that he needed to get away now or worse would come.

"You little brat. You let Perseus get away." He snarled, furious at the child of Hades.

Nico whimpered and tried to push himself away. The titan knelt beside him and grabbed his neck pulling him up.

"What do you think your doing?" The voice caused Hyperion to drop Nico and turn to face the goddess who stared at him, arms crossed and eyes baring into his soul.

"N-nothing, my lady. I was simply..." She cut him off and turned to Nico.

"Are you alright, brother." He shook his head and pointed to his leg, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling out in pain. The girl knelt beside him, her hands hovering over it. Black mist seemed to gently cover his leg and heal the bone, making the pain disappear.

"Thanks." He said, bowing his head. She shook her head.

"No brother of mine will bow to me. Hyperion." The titan stepped forward, though he looked furious. His eyes betrayed his fear though and the goddess seemed to notice it.

"Inform the Titan Lord that the huntress, the daughters of Athena and Demeter and my brother are to be protected. Should he fail to do so, I will without hesitation remove any powers he still has. Go." She snapped. The titan turned to obey. "One last thing. You harmed my brother." The titan froze, a look of panic crossed his face. "My message will wait." She muttered a word in ancient greek and he collapsed to his knees, yelling in pain.

"What did you do?" Nico asked, scooting away from the hurting immortal.

"I have power here as this is my realm. He will be in pain for the next 72 hours. Come, brother. Your friends await." Nico nodded and followed her through the veil, with one last glance at the Titan of Light.

"My lady." Katie greeted as she entered, bowing her head. The goddess just laughed.

"You need not call me lady, child of Demeter." Katie smiled and rose from her bow.

"Thank you, um..." Again, the immortal laughed.

"Celeste, guardian of Tartarus, at your service." She curtsied and Katie mirrored the gesture.

"Katie Gardner, daughter of Demeter." Celeste smiled and turned to the other three.

"And you are?" Each of them intorduced themselves, curtsying or bowing at the end of the intro. When they finished, the goddess motioned for them to follow her. She moved along the path and the other three followed immediately. The girl stopped when the path split. One went to the dark palace and the second led to a garden, filled with golden, black and blue roses.

"This is the garden of the Gods." She stated, moving into the garden and spinning in a circle.

"Lady Celeste?" Thalia asked, curious.

"Each flower here represents a fallen daughter or son of the Big Three. Gold for Zeus, Black for father and Blue for Poseidon. Many of my friends represent flowers of all three." Thalia tilted her head in genuine confusion.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but what does this have to do with us?" The goddess turned and faced her.

"It is not easy for you to simply call me Celeste, is it, cousin?" Thalia shook her head apologetically. "But never mind. The reason I brought my brother here was to show him Bianca's flower." She moved gracefully through the garden and stopped at a beautiful flower glittering in the red light.

The others moved to meet her in the flower ed and Nico knelt beside her. "That's Bianca's?" The girl nodded with a gentle laugh.

"Yes, brother. The silver is for Artemis." The girl replied, stroking the flower.

"Why do you show me this, my lady?" The girl stood up, tilting her head back and studying the sky.

"She died too young, hunter. I will give you the option to return her to life." Thalia froze but let loose a stunned smile.

"M-my lady?!" The girl turned and studied Thalia.

"You think that I risk breaking the ancient laws. But you wish desperately that I could. Am I right, huntress?" Thalia nodded with a smile. "I am not a traditional goddess. I was sent her by my own request and earned the respect of a duo of primordials. Nyx and Erebus blessed me. Thus, I have the ability to break the laws if I desire. However, only for one worthy. And for you, huntress, I will break them. But for a price."

Nico stepped forward. "Name it." The girl turned to her brother.

"You cannot pass the test I will give, my brother." Nico bowed his head and stepped backward. "Do not fear, little one, for you are young and there is time for you to overcome it. No, the one I choose to undertake the task is Lady Thalia, Lieutenant of the hunters." Thalia stepped forward.

"I will pass your test, my lady." The girl smiled.

"I know. However, I am not done yet, brave one. There is one other that died, though her life was long lived." Thalia tensed slightly.

"Who, my lady?" Celeste turned and smiled at the huntress.

"Another sister of yours, my dear. Zoe Nightshade died too soon, don't you think?" Thalia gasped and her eyes filled with tears about the former lieutenant. Her smile became wide. "You cannot save them both, my dear. Another, if one is willing, must step forth and take the trial, else you must choose."

The others behind her stood silent but Katie stepped forward, her eyes on the goddess. "I will, my lady. For Nico and Thalia." The goddess smiled widely.

"And I pray you succeed little one." The girl nodded and curtsied.

"As do I." The goddess turned to the path and waved a hand, causing a familiar demigod to appear. Ethan Nakamura had not changed. His eye was covered with an eyeatch, but for the first time, he had a smile on his face.

When he spoke, it was to the goddess alone.

"Celeste, you called?" The girl nodded.

"Please take Annabeth and my brother to my throne room. Keep them entertained if you would." He nodded and motioned for them to follow. Both obeyed with a last look at their friends.

Thalia squirmed as the girls face turned sad. "I should warn you that this will not be easy."

"How so, my lady?" Thalia asked, shifting her weight anxiously. The girl turned and her eyes were full of years and years of pain.

"I have offered this chance to many demigods who were fond of a certain demigod. None of them have passed the test. If you fail, the price is to remain here forever." Thalia frowned.

"That's why that boy was here." Celeste nodded.

"His mother asked for a terrible thing. There was a son of Hades who she loved for all eternity. He died long ago but when Ethan fell, Nemesis rescued him. For repayment, she demanded that he try to revive my brother. He failed." Katie frowned.

"Why?" The goddess tilted her head back.

"There are many reasons one fails. Lack of confidence, lack of power, a weak resolve. His was different. He never knew the child of Hades and so he did not long for that life enough to push through." Thalia paled and glanced at Katie. Celeste followed her gaze. "I fear that if you take this challenge, that will be your undoing, my dear."

Katie gave a brave smile. "What is the trial, my lady?" The goddess gave a sad smile.

"Yours shall be different. But it will not be easy. Are you prepared, young ones?" Both of them nodded resolutely. "Very well." She began to glow and her black hair melted into a pale white that glowed eerily. Her dress melted from black to a pure white, and the red took on the appearance of wet blood. Her eyes opened slowly, and the deep conforting red that had once been was now a bright crimson.

"M-my lady?" Thalia asked, stepping back.

_"I am Azrael. The original aspect of Lady Celeste. While we are the same, we are different. I shall be the decider of your fate. Take my hand, Huntress, Half-Blood. I will take you to your fate." _Thalia and Katie obeyed hesitantly and both disappeared.

(A/N) So Bianca and Zoer have the chance to come back to life, but only Thalia and Katie can save them. Can they do it?

Let me expand on why I had Celeste have split personalities. If you've read Heroes of Olympus, you know about Greek v Roman. This is kinda the same, the only difference is that Azrael was the original Celeste. When things played out in time, Azrael changed so much that a split personalityemerged. (Celeste)


	6. The hunters journey

Warning: Torture Hinted at

Disclaimer: The dea- all mine, The characters- not so much. Rick Riordan owns them. I just... have fun with them.

Ch. 6 The hunters journey

Thalia landed first, her feet becoming soaked from ice cold snow. She glanced around and paled, shaking sightly in fear. The goddess had sent her to a mountain. A man watched her from the other side of the peak and she met his gaze. Azrael appeared by his side before flashing to her side.

_You must descend the peak of ages_

_With a brother born of Zeus_

_Past the five haunted stages_

_And past the dragon not to rouse_

_Meet thee at the bottom camp_

_Return one's whose soul was dampened _

Thalia let out a breath and nodded. "I understand." Azrael gave her a smile.

"_I usually do not aid more than what I said. However, thou is fighting to return Zoe Nightshade. I met her once and admired her greatly and thus, I wish for thee to succeed. I will give thee more than usual as such. Currently, thou stands atop Mount Everest, the peak of ages and the tallest place on earth. To save the huntress, you must descend the mountain in 6 hours, a typically impossible feat. The man that waits is an immortal son of thine father. He has managed this feat many times, taking other siblings of his down. Obey him, for he is thine only hope, but I would advise not to trust him. He is, after all, male." _The goddess turned and bowed her head slightly to the man. He smiled and bowed back before floating across to Thalia.

"To defeat this mount, you gotta descend using dad's powers. It won't be easy, sis. But you can do it. See ya later, Lady Azrael." The goddess smiled gently.

"_Good Bye, Edwardo Christen. Good Luck, Thalia Grace. I shall see thee in a half day, whether thou succeeds or not." _She disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the two alone.

"Currently, we are at the South Summit. The first step is to get down to base camp four. Since you're not acclimated, we need to get down in less than an hour or you can start coughing up fluid from you lungs. That happens, and you'll most likely die." Thalia nodded. "To do that, we are gonna have to jump down to the camp from an edge. That way, we bypass climbers." The huntress paled but nodded again.

"Lead the way, boy." He smirked slightly.

"It's been awhile since I've led a huntress down." Thalia glared at him. "Follow me, sis." he headed through the snow at a light jog. She followed easily but quickly became out of breath as they reached the edge. "You're out of breath? Can't say I'm surprised. See, your resting heartbeat will be higher the higher you go, but your max heartbeat will-" He was cut off.

"Stay the same. I live with a goddess, idiot. Besides, you don't need to worry about me being killed. I can only die in battle." He frowned.

"Right. Like I said, been awhile since I've led a huntress." Thalia glared at him and he held up his hands in surrender. "Let's get down. We jump, sister." He moved and leapt off the cliff. Thalia stared after him, frozen in spot. He hovered up to meet her and held out his hand beckoning. "What, scared or something?"

"No!" She snapped, but a slight stutter ended the intended affect and he started laughing.

"A daughter of Zeus, scared of heights? Seriously?" She snarled at him, hand reaching for her bow and he paled, backtracking quickly. "Sorry, couldn't help it. Don't kill me, I'll be good."

"Just get us down from here." She snarled and her brother nodded shakily.

"First step you need to do is jump, sis. Once you've done so, gather the air around your feet to hold you steady. Once we've gotten there, the rest is pretty straightforward but really tiring." Thalia obeyed, closing her eyes and focusing on her goddess' face. As soon as she fell, she panicked. "Focus, Thalia." She closed her eyes again and tried to geather the air. It obeyed immediately and stooped her jerkily. She hovered about 100 feet over a sharp cliff.

She let out a breath and tried her best not to look down. She was completely terrified and both of them knew it. The son of Zeus floated down to meet her and grabbed her hand.

"You did great. Just like that. Our destination is about 2000 feet down from here. Base camp is at 17000 or so feet. We can bypass the other camps by floating down and get down in three or so hours. Since you have six, we can take even more time and stop at each of the camps. But, you'll be in danger of getting sick, and even if you or I can't die, the results would end up with you staying forever in Lady Celeste's castle." Thalia hesitated.

"Let's do it the first way. The faster we get down, the better." Her brother smiled.

"Alright, follow me. Oh, and we need to be careful. There's a dragon that resides in a cave above the Kumba Ice falls, which is why it's so deadly. It moves the ice with its tail and forces the mortals into its lair. He sometimes attacks me and other guests to the mountain that I take down and I've lost quite a few passengers that way." Thalia sighed.

"Hunter, remember? I'll just shoot it out of the sky." Her brother shook his head and turned, starting to descend at a slow jog, moving like he was on very steep stairs.

Thalia gave him a confused look and so he decided to explain. "Tried that and tried lightning. It just pissed the creature off. The only thing that you can do is hope that it doesn't see you." Thalia sighed and contined down.

In an hour, they had already passed camps five, four and three. Next up was camp two and the first monsters appeared. The were stygian birds and immediately flocked around the children of Zeus, but arrows and lightning took them out quickly.

"The reason this mountain is considered so deadly is because of the monsters. Most of the mortals fall and die because the mist makes them think its a rock or something. Then, the creatures devour their flesh. If you die up here, chances are that your body will never be recovered." Thalia nodded in understanding.

Thirty minutes later, they reached camp one and her brother descended to the surface landing and heading into camp. Three men turned to them and studied Thalia curiously.

"Who's this, Eddy?" One of them stated, studying her unabashedly. Thalia's death glare did little to deter him and the son of Zeus quickly stepped in the way.

"This is my little half-sister. Be kind. She's not fond of men." The man laughed and Thalia's eyes narrowed.

"Got a problem with that?" He turned to her and smiled.

"Not at all, little hunter. I totally understand that you don't like us much at all. But don't think I'll just let you shoot me, dog of Artemis. Then I'd be really stupid." Thalia snarled angrily, shifting into an attack position.

"Enough, Daniel! She is my half-sister and you will respect her, else you make our father mad. Even Ares can't save you then. Marc," Ed turned to face a different man who had simply watched the confrontation. "Why are you still here? You should have gone back to Base Camp today." The man shook his head.

"The dragons' active, man. We don't have a death wish, so we'll head out tomorrow. You should to, along with Lady Hunter." Thalia turned to Marc.

"We must leave today. If you desire, brother. You may wait and I shall go on alone. If not, let's go. I do not wish to be in the presence of this _boy _any longer. Watch yourself, child of Ares, and pray to whatever god that will listen that Lady Artemis did not hear your disrespect." Thalia turned and jumped into the air, gathering the wind as she had become used to doing.

Ed turned and waved before following her into the air. Thalia was silent for a long time as they descended into the Ice camp. She refused to speak and Ed felt rather than saw her icy demeaner. Clearly, Daniel had offended her and changed the hunter's opinion of him.

"Thalia, I'm sorry about Daniel." He said softly and the hunter turned and glared with a sneer.

"Why apologize? He is a typical boy. As are you, it seems, to keep such company. Let's get down so that I can get back to Nico and Annabeth." Her brother nodded and kept moving, floating over the glaciers that as the men back at camp had forewarned, were moving, crushing mortals that dared pass through, underneath.

Both of them paled as a particularly nasty swipe of a long, icy white tail slammed into a group of three, and created a new chasm that swallowed them whole. Inside, they could see a pair of glowing yellow eyes that stared at them.

"Sister, we need to take a different route. Come on!" But his warning came to late as the creature moved out from the crevice and swished its tail anxiously, its wings tight against its back.

_Children of Zeus, you entered my domain. Again and again you push your limits and trespass. I have allowed it because you did not enter and you always brought a sacrifice that I could feast on. But this time, mortals, you push too far._

Thalia turned to the man beside her who was staring at the creature. "Always brought a sacrifice? Edwardo, what is the dragon talking about?"

Her brother stared down at the dragon impassively before tilting his head slightly and turning to gaze at his sister. He wore a slightly condescending grin, and his eyes had a cruel edge that made the hunter back up immediately.

"That's what they were, My companions, I mean. Thalia. I always had a sacrifice with me, just in case the dragon was hungry. That's what you'll be too, little sister. After all, what's one more huntress when I've already killed three?" Thalia backed away slowly.

_Then she is the one you offer, young one? She will be my meal for safe passage? _The dragon turned and stared at her greedily. A chilling laugh filled the air.

"I offer her to you, my lord. But beware, Lady Azrael will claim her when you are through." The dragon turned and swished its tail.

It blinked at the son of Zeus before lowering his head. _Pass through, Edwardo. Remember that I once again spared your life. Daughter of Zeus, enter my domain so I may feast on you._ The huntress removed her bow and strung an arrow. The beast looked at her curiously when she pointed it towards her guides back and fired. It hit him in the back of the knee an he cried out, turning to her in rage.

"I offer you a sacrifice, great one. My brother for safe passage." The dragon laughed cruelly.

_Long since has been the time when he first climbed my face. He sacrificed a worthless women to pass and then his brother to descend. Everytime since, he has given two sacrifices each time. The mortals, however, are beginning to suspect. No other expedition leader has lost so many climbing the face. I suppose, since his time ascending my peak is limited, I will accept, hunter. _Edwardo shook his head shakily.

"I sacrificed so many and you just betray me?" He said, backing away from the hungry creature.

_As you would betray you sister, young one, I would betray you. _The man paled and turned to his sister angrily.

His snarl was etched on his face even as Thalia descended to the earth to stand beside the beast. She knew it was risky but hoped that the dragon would allow her to pass. Besides, if her brother attacked, now he would risk hitting the creature an guaranting his fate as food.

She landed with a thud and her knees collapsed beneath her from stress.

_Come, Edwardo. Or face my wrath. _The dragon descended, expecting her brother to follow. And he did, at least till he reached Thalia's side. But as he passed her, he pulled a knife and stabbed her side, causing her to cry out in pain. The dragon paused and turned to watch the fight.

Thalia sidestepped a second swipe and stabbed the ground below, sending sparks flying. Her half brother blocked them but it gave her time to jump back and load her bow. She began to fire from a distance and despite his skill, he could not dodge the arrows that flew with fatal accuracy. The one that hit his heart was his downfall and he collapsed dead to the ground.

But she was in bad shape and both the dragon and her knew it. _Perhaps, I could eat both of you. It is not as though you will survive anyway... _It mused, after snapping up the son of Zeus in a single bite. _He was immortal so he will reform and I will gladly eat him again, but unfortunately, his essence will leave my body when he does reform in thirty or fourty years. But you, you will remain i my stomach. _

Thalia had no energy to fight as the dragon approached, opening his jaw.

"Rafael, enough!" A womans voice caused the dragon to stop and snap his jaw shut. "You have your sacrifice. Leave the girl alone." The beast snarled and began to glow, transforming into a handsome, white haired, golden eyed teenager.

The woman, purple and gold haired with green eyes stared back. "How dare you interfere, Chalia?" He snapped, moving towards her.

"Lady Azrael asked and I came hither to stop this foolishness. Thou hast overstepped thine bounds. Moreover, her soul is bound to my ladies and she will return whether thou wilst or no. Come hunter, I will take thine the rest of the way down the mountain. My lady waits." The woman turned and Thalia attempted to stand. Chalia turned back and studied her.

"She is too injured, my sister. Allow me to eat her. Disobey your mistress, just this once. I beg you. I'm hungry." Chalia glared at him before glowing and turning into a majestic purple and gold dragon and gently picked up the girl in her claw.

_Devour the mortals if thou must. But do not presume to ask me to disobey mine mistress again. Get thee gone, brother. I have had enough of thee for one day. _She took off into the sky, spiralling down to the last camp quickly, where a famiiar silver haired, red eyed goddess waited.

"_Welcome home, my dragon." _Chalia set Thalia down and transformed back into a human.

"I am pleased to serve, Lady Azrael. I have brought the huntress as you command. But I must go. Father demands to see me." The dragon disappeared and Azrael glowed changing to Celeste who smiled warmly at Thalia.

"You have succeeded. Zoe Nightshade will return with thee to the surface. Come. Let us meet thine friends." She offered her hand.

"Lady Celeste, has Katie succeeded?" The goddess did not answer as they disappeared in a flash of light.

(A/N) So Thalia was betrayed, again. By her brother no less. Anyway, he's not really a major part of the story sinnce he just died. The only reason he was there was to cement Thalia's loyalty even further and make her hate guys even more, which'll cause problems with little Nico later.

Next chapters will have Katie's quest and Atlantis. Haven't decided if I should have the scene with Ampitrite yet, though please give your opinions and any ideas you might have.

Lady Serenity will come into play in five chapters or so, when we get to the main plot. (The first part was just to start the conflict.)

I'll update as soon as I can, so keep in touch. Probably not tomorrow, though, since I feel like crap and have a feeling I'll feel worse tomorrow.

Also, I'd like to thank my reviewers, particulary The Dark Lady 55. I wasn't planning on finising this chapter today since I feel horrible and really dizzy. But when I read her review, (I'll post it below) I decided that it may be in my best interest to update. And so I did.

UPDATE PLEASE! I MIGHT DIE! DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE FROM WITHDRALL JUST BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T UPDATE!? I WILL NOT HESITATE TO HIT YOU WITH A GIANT FISH! DO YOU WANT TO BE HIT WITH A GIANT FISH?! BELIEVE ME IT IS NOT FUN! UPDATE AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER! FOREVER! DO YOU HEAR ME?! FOREVER!  
Btw i love your story  
REMEMBER! A GIANT FISH! I AM NOT KIDDING!

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed, and I think I answered all of them. If not, let me know by PM or review and I'll at least send a thanks.


	7. Gardner faces the grave

Warning: Hints of Torture, blah, blah, blah...

Disclaimer: Don't own, but I can dream pleasant dreams about owning Percy Jackson and his frineds and the wonderfully horrible things I could have them do.

Ch. 7 Gardner faces the grave

Katie arrived on her back, landing on something sharp that sut into her, causing her to cry out. She observed the ceiling of the place she was in. It was wooden and smooth like a lid on something. Turning her neck to study things left and right, Katie understood immediately of moved and again, something cut her, Katie glanced down and paled.

There was a skeleton beneath her, smiling eerily up at her. She squirmed away and tried to control her breathing, understanding that there would be a limited amount of air in this small prison that she resided in.

_"Rescue yourself from an endless grace_

_Lift yourself from airtight prison_

_Limited time yourself must save_

_In order to allow huntress risen." _ The words clearly caught the daghter of Demeter off guard and she glanced around for the source of the noise, glad to be doing something other than panicking. Above her, an image, made in fog appeared and the beautiful image of Lady Azrael appeared.

"My lady." She murmered, bowing her head slightly.

_"Peace, little one. I will aid thee as I aid Thalia, for thine both prove thyself worthy. To escape, thou must remember three things, Katie Gardner. 1) Thine mother, though not as strong as her brothers, has unique powers that will aid thee should you need them. 2) Air beneath ground is limited, and one must not waste it. And 3) Thou ist stronger, in mind and body, than thine hast been led to believe." _

Katie opened her mouth to speak but the goddess was already gone and she frowned, wondering what she meant by her mothers strength. She became so caught up in her reverie, that when a male voice appeared, she squeaked loudly, to the watchers amusement.

"Hey Kat. Long time no see." Katie smiled widely, tears leaking from her eyes. Before her was her brother Lev, who died heroically in the Titan War.

"Levvy?" She asked, just to confirm it.

He laughed throatily. "How's _Tr-av-is?_" Katie smiled as brightly as possible. He was the only one who was allowed to tease her about the son of Hermes that she liked, the only one that dared.

"What are you doing here?" His bright expression changed to a serious one.

"Some white-haired goddess appeared and told me to go to my grave. I kinda didn't have a choice. She told me to tell you to 'Remember Hyperion' and informed me I could stay as long as I liked." Katie smiled broudly at him, as her mind raced.

"How's Elysium?" She asked, though different scenarios rushed through her mind.

"Good. Good. How's Olympus?" He asked, watching her.

"Good. Good." She replied absently. Noticing she was out of it, he fell silent and simply gazed at his favorite sister. Nico, the son of Hades, had come and visited with him for awhile, and shown him images of his sister. She looked good, he was proud to say.

"Sis, if I may ask, why are you in my coffin? Not that I mind but..." Katie shook out of her reverie and stared at him for a second before deciding it would be best to tell him.

When she finished, he was silent. "Hyperion was trapped in a tree by Grover, right?" Katie nodded. "Why in hell would a goddess tell you to remember a story about a tree when you're trapped underground unless..."

"She wants me to use a tree to get out." The boy nodded.

"It makes sense. The message she gave you 'Mother has unique powers' would fit since she is the goddess of Harvest."

"Then all I have to do-"

"Is make a tree to escape!" Lev finished excitedly. He grinned and began to talk Katie through the steps. Of the two, Lev had always been the better at larger plants while Katie excelled at fruit and edible foods.

Soon, a root broke through the coffin and allowed light to spill in. Katie grinned i relief as fresh air flooded the wood and her breathing became regular.

"Alrighty then. Enlarge the root and envision it hollow, so you can pull your way out." Lev advised, floating to the surface and standing wraithlike in the warm night.

Katie did as he asked and the tree-like tunnel appeared above her head, pushing roots to the side. Levvy stood above her approvingly, proud of his sisters accomplishments. She was strong, he noted in his mind. Much stronger than I ever was.

The jealousy that came with disappeared as soon as he came when he pushed the thought away. No! He argued with himself. I love my sister and I am proud of her. I refuse to be her downfall.

Katie, meanwhile, was slowly cliping the tree trunk, wedging her feet in and slowly pushing herself up. Lev occasionally shouted encouragement to her, but for the most part, she was on her own.

When she was three-quarters up, everything went wrong.

Her left foot slipped and trying to catch herself, her left wrist got badly slied, barely missing the artery that ran down her hand and red blood gushed out even as she toppled down. She landed in a broken heap and Levvy floated down beside her, trying to give her advice. But nothing she tried stopped the bleeding and both of them knew she was in severe danger of bleeding out.

Lev tried not to panick and focused on what they could do. FInally, he came up with an idea and voiced it out loud. "Kat, I know you're in pain but you need to focus."

She nodded.

"Okay, imagine a tree below you, larger than your body or close to." Katie nodded again. "Now, think of it pushing you up to the surface, towards the light." Katie tried to do so and the beneath her, the ground parted and inched its way upwards.

The process was slow-going, especially due to her injuries and the girl did her best to keep focusing. This time, she made it almost to the top, before things went wrong. And by wrong, she meant that the earth started to crumble and fall back to the ground. Steeling her nerves, Katie jumped up, grabbing hold of her first tree as the other cascading down on topw of the wooden coffin.

Her blood dripped eerily down from her wrist as she pulled herself onto safe ground and collapsed. Her brother pled at the sight of the blood.

_"Truly, she is strong." _A voice caused his head to turn. Azrael strolled forward and knelt beside the injured daughter of Demeter. _"But I fear this cut is bad. There is little hope for her now, I suppose." _Lev backed up, tears rolling down his face.

"You mean she'll be stuck in Tartarus?" The goddess shook her head.

_"She succeeded, Levvy. She will go where heroes go and the daughter of Hades will rise again." _Levvy closed his eyes, either from anger or from sorrow.

"There is nothing you can do? Nothing?" The goddess turned sadly to him.

_"I could make her immortal, but the price is too high, young one. It is better if she just falls into fathers realm, dying a worthy heroines death." _Lev glared at her.

"I refuse to accept that. What is the price, my lady?" Azrael closed her eyes and began to glow, leaving Celeste in her place, frowning at him gently.

"To save the girl, one of equal power must return with me to beneath the earth. She will be free and the other trapped. You could do it." She said, answering his next question. "But it is a high price to pay and hardly fair for either of you. Allow her to die, brave one. Please." Levvy shook his head.

"I will go with you, my lady. For her." The goddess gave him a sad smile.

"Then come if you must. I will save her in my temple." The boy nodded and they disappeared. When they landed, the walls were black as the sky without stars and a small alter was the only source of light. Flickering candles glittered on steps that led up and the goddess quietly laid Katie down.

Her voice changed to ancient greek and Katie glowed, her wounds healing and her blood turning from red to gold. She became immortal before them both. The goddess ushered the boy forward with a second sad smile.

"Father, hear my cry. As an offering for this magic, I take a child into my domain. He is here of his own will to save his sister. Let the Olymipans know of Levvy Fields' sacrifice." The floor shook.

"M-my lady?" Levvy asked hesitantly when she took his hand.

"I must brand you with my mark, child, so that none down here may harm you." Golden tears trailed down her face. "It is the mark of a slave, I fear. But hear me now, I will never treat thine as such. You are a worthy hero, Levvy, and shall be known as such." Levvy steeled his nerves as she touched his arm and a searing pain raced through it.

When she lifted her palm, a mark of a dark raven with burning red eyes took its place.

"Welcome to my world, Levvy. I am sorry for your sacrifice. When your sister wakes, she will believe you returned to Elysium and she shall never know different so that she feels no guilt."

Levvy smiled at her warmly, even as she sent him away with Ethan Nakamura. Somehow, he felt at peace here, with the fellow demigods who made a similar sacrifice and other victims of circumstance. If nothing else, knowing he saved his sister was reward enough.

XXAtlantisXX

Percy, Luke and Clarisse were forced to attend a party. Not just any party, mind you. A party for Percy Jackson, Hero of Olympus.

Luke and Clarisse found it amusing.

Percy did not.

Triton was the one to inform them of the ceremony and guilted Percy with words like 'It's your duty as Poseidon's son,' and 'everyone would be so dissapointed if you didn't show up.' And so, Percy went. But he did not like it.

Mermen, Dolphins and other sea creatures greeted him warmly despite the fact that he was an illegitimate son of Poseidon.

Triton watched his brothers inward annoyance with amusement before turning his gaze towards the former traitor. The boy was hovering slightly behind Percy, his eyes wary and on constant guard. If nothing else, the heir of the sea mused, he is a good guard dog.

Poseidon also watched Luke Castellan and unlike Triton, he noticed the discomfort. People noticed the traitor and it was clear the boy did not like that. However, Luke took his oath to the God of the Sea seriously and remained with Percy as often as the Sea God's son would allow.

Taking pity, the God of the Ocean strolled over and clamped his son on the shoulder. "If you don't mind, my boy, I would like a word with Luke."

Percy motioned for Luke to go with him and Luke gave Percy a grin before following Poseidon.

"My Lord, How can I aid you?" Luke asked when they moved out of earshot of the party.

"You seemed uncomfortable, Luke. I thought you might like an escape." When Luke opened his mouth to protest Poseidon gave him an amused look. "Go. I will send my son soon. Rest, son of Hermes." Luke gave him a grin filled with relief.

"Yes, my lord."

When Poseidon entered without Luke, Percy made his way over.

"You didn't blast him did you? I mean-" Poseidon laughed at the worry on his son's face, glad for the closeness of the two.

"I sent him to rest. He looked exhausted. You should do so as well, my child. Go. I will make an excuse. Luke awaits in your room I am sure." Percy nodded with a sigh. The former traitor took his oath to Percy to an extreme, refusing to part from Percy unless he knew his friend was safe.

Percy strode out of the hall lined with stunning sea shells and glowing a majestic green and towards his bedroom where, sure enough, Luke Castellan waited, his back turned and studying the skyline of Atlantis.

"Luke." He greeted, heading towards his dresser where his PJ's were.

"Perce." He replied, turning away from the night and studying the ceiling. "Can I stay in your room tonight."

Percy raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Sure, but what for?" The traitor stared at Percy unabashadly before moving to the center of the room and laying down on the floor. As if on command, a mattress appeared beneath him and blankets on top.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight." Percy just smirked.

"Whatever. Go to bed, Luke." He muttered, throwing himself down on the bed and snapping his fingers to turn out the light.

"Yes master." Luke was asleep before Percy could reply and he let out a sigh before falling into a deep slumber.

Luke's instincts about that night were right.

(A/N) Sorry about the late update. Schools been crazy and I just haven't had time to write. I thought since Thalia got help from her brother, Katie should too. And so a dead brother comes back to help her.

Percy will be in the next chapter, a lot more, but I'm gonna hold off on the Amphitrite conversation because I legitly have no idea what to write. (Any ideas would be welcome)


	8. Problems with Percy and the pit

Warning: Hints of Torture

Disclaimer: Idea- mine; Books- not so much...

Ch. 8 Problems with Percy and the Pit

Thalia and Katie stood before the goddess, outfits changed into beautiful gowns that flowed to the ground. The goddess claimed that the typical huntress outfit and Katies jeans were 'improper for a palace such as hers' and 'no demigod should be so underdressed.' Both of them had agreed reluctantly and allowed her to redesign their clothes.

Thalia wore a greek style silvery dress that flowed the the ground. On one shoulder, it was held up by an ornate design of a huntress shooting a bow at the moon. The other shoulder was left uncovered. In her ears, she had similar jewelry. Her typical punk style hair had been tamed and now looked glossy and the circlet that marked her as lieutenant sat proudly on her brow.

Katie wore a dimilar style dress, though hers was a beautiful grass green, mixed with deep burgandys and lavenders. The design on her shoulder was of her mother, surrounded by a cornucopia of food, made in Imperial Gold. She wore her hair long as well and the goddess had given her a golden wreath of leaves to rest on her head.

Both were currently waiting for Nico and Thalia, who were, no doubt getting similar treatments.

"So you're immortal now?" Thalia asked after both finished discussing their quests.

"Yes. I was hurt badly and Lady Celeste decided to save me. I'm very greatful, I must say. Especially as she asked nothing from me for such a gift." Thalia nodded and let out a sigh, lifting her foot to study the silver gladiator sandles she now wore.

Katie laughed at the disgust on the girls' face, earning a glare. "Laugh all you want. These are hardly shoes that I can wear on the hunt. I would be the laughing stock of them all."

"But you would look so fashionable." Thalia's glare was the only response needed to start another round of Katie's giggles.

"I'm glad your having fun." A disgruntled male voice from the doorway drew their attention. Annabeth and Nico stood there, neither one looking happy.

Neither was sure which one looked better. Annabeth wore the same style dress in grey, with green beading depicting an image of Athena in battle armor.

Nico, on the other hand, wore a black toga. Normally, Thalia and Annabeth would have teased him endlessly, but Celeste had clearly made it just for him. The drapes in the fabric made his mucles stand out, and the cumberbund on his waist was a blood red, with a terrifying image of Hades on it. His eyes literally seemed to bear into the soul. On his back, she had designed a swort shieth for the Stygian Iron sword.

The four of them mingled before the double doors to the chamber opened and a pair of demigods that none of them knew opened the door.

"Announcing, Lady Celeste, Lady Zoe Nightshade and Lady Bianca Di Angelo." One of them stated, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Thee should be glad thy mistress is kind, girl." A familiar voice stated, her black as night eyes meeting Thalia's.

The huntress rushed forward and embraced her. Meanwhile, the other three stood awkwardly. Only Thalia knew Zoe personally, though Annabeth was there when she had died. Despite the stories both Percy and Thalia told of her, Annabeth did not know what to think about the daughter of Atlas, besides that she was incredibly loyal to Artemis and could be a complete bitch when she wanted too.

She remembered the huntress vaguely when the hunters, and Luke, Thalia and Annabeth had met but had not paid much attention, as Zoe seemed to annoy Thalia and Luke.

The girl wore a silver and gold greek dress that fell just below her knees. On the shoulder that had the strap, she had an image of Artemis on her chariot riding through the sky.

Through the doors, a second figure emerged, wearing a floor length version of Nico's outfit. Her smile was watery as her brother rushed to her and embraced her.

"Hello, Nico." She murmered through her tears. The reunion lasted for awhile, though Annabeth and Katie mostly stood to the side, not knowing the others well enough to greet them.

Finally, the goddess re-entered the room and coughed to get their attention. "Welcome back, Zoe and Bianca. I wish you a safe journey home. For the rest of you, I wish you the best when you reach the surface and I shall pray for your safety.

"I thank thee, milady." Zoe said, stepping forward and bowing low. The others followed suit. Celeste waved them out of the kneel.

"I am not my father, nor any other Olympian. I do not demand you kneel to me for the sake of kneeling." Bianca smiled gently at her.

Thalia handed out the pearls as the others said their good-byes to the goddess. Her smile was proud as she returned the sentiments and waved them off as they smashed the pearls at their feet. Ethan stepped to her side even as they floated away.

"I must be selfish, but I cannot help but wish they could stay. How selfish." She murmured, turning to the demigod. He shook his head.

"You, my lady? Selfish? I must say I do not see it. You are the most unselfish goddess I know." He stated back, as they watched the demigods and huntresses float away. The goddess gave him a sad smile.

"Perhaps, Ethan, perhaps."

XXAtlantisXX

Percy had a dream. Well, a nightmare to be more accurate. In fact, it was the worst nightmare that he had ever had. The main reason being that it was with Kronos. And Kronos was not happy. The Titan Lord smiled cruelly at the son of Poseidon, his golden eyes studying the demigod.

"Hello grandson." Percy didn't respond, instead choosing to glance around. Currently, they were in the jail cell Kronos had kept him in, the chains that held him still covered in golden ichor, though thankfully he was not attached to them. The room was bleak as before, covered in gray plain stones with no markings or anything on them.

A small fireplace laid behind Kronos as before, burning with coal black flames, directly corresponding with the Titan Lords' mood.

Kronos snarled to get his attention and as soon as he had it, he snapped his fingers. Percy couldn't move as time slowed down and could only watch as the bloody chains floated behind him, snagging his wrists and ankles retying him to the wall.

"H-how?" The demigod stuttered, not daring to struggle, remembering the pain that had occured when he tried before. But this time, it was only a dream. Surely he couldn't-. His thoughts were cut off when the Titan laughed.

"Morpheus was sent to Tartarus as punishment." Percy paled and tried to fight but Kronos just laughed, strolling forward like he had all the time in the world. Which he kinda did...

When Kronos reached the space in front of him, he twirled his scythe and it appeared in his hand, making Percy feel even more fear. He tried to move away from the blade but Kronos made a small mark on his cheek, and snapped his finger to start the pain.

This time, Percy screamed. The pain was unbearable and Kronos did not allow it to wain as he had before. Kronos laughed and motioned someone from the shadows forward. Hyperion, looking angry beyond belief stepped out. He stepped forward and let his fist fly, breaking Percy's jaw and increasing the already unbearable pain.

Nothing helped as Kronos and Hyperion increased the torment, pushing the son of Poseion further than before, trying to shatter him. It was working and all of them knew it.

Finally, Kronos raised his hand and the pain subsided to a dull roar, but at least he could focus a little.

"M-my lord, Celeste left me weak and I cannot continue. I-I'm sorry." The god of dreams stuttered, stepping into Percy's vision.

"Tell me, Morpheus, my friend, will my _bond _with the boy continue when he wakes." Percy prayed to every god that he knew of, the Olympians and every other diety he could possibly think of that the answer was no. No one listened though.

"Yes, my lord. He will be at your mercy. The only one with the power to interfere is Lady Serenity, or perhaps Lady Celeste. But since both are exiles, your bond should last as long as you wish." Percy let out a moan of agony and Kronos turned to him and strolled forward, grabbing the demigod's broken jaw and forcing Percy to meet his eyes.

"You will bend and break for me, Jackson. And when you can break no further, Jackson, you can always return to me. I've said it before and will likely say it again. I admire your spirit, _immortal,_" His lips curved in a cruel smile. "Join me. Only then, will I release you." The titan released his chin and the scythe transformed into a knife.

Hyperion strutted forward and held Percy's forearm so tightly that it snapped. The agony was intense and it took all Percy had not to pass out. He had a feeling the Titan Lord would not be pleased.

"A reminder of who your master is." Kronos murmured with a smile as the blade touched his skin and a scythe appeared.

Percy lost conciousness.

XXAtlantis: Percy's roomXX

Percy screamed, and Luke moved to his side, trying his best to wake them. Nothing worked though. Sensing something was very wrong, he called for help.

Triton arrived first and instantly took into account the sleeping boy's expression. It was filled with intense agony. Before either one could say anything, a sickening crack caught their attention. Percy's jaw had just broken.

"Wake him up, Castellan. Now!" Luke tried again, but nothing worked. The doors opened and Poseidon and Ampitrite entered together, though the goddess pursed her lips at the sight. Triton explained the situation even as Luke tried more.

More and more bruises appeared and a few more broken bones appeared. His left tibia, right ankle and left wrist all looked shattered. When nothing they tired worked, Posreidon turned to his wife desperately.

"Please. Get him to the infirmary. I need to get Apollo." His wife nodded, having gone pale. Despite the fact that this child was her husband's bastard, no one deserved what he was going through even in his sleep.

The four reappeared in the infirmary, Percy on the bed and the two worried boys on either side. A few doctors rushed over, adding to the desperate efforts to awaken the sleeping kid.

Apollo and Poseidon arrived in a flash as the worst break yet occured.

Percy's right forearm snapped as a bruise the size of a hand appeared on his arm. As the gods reached him, a burn in the mark of a scythe appeared. Below it, ancient greek lettering spelled KRONOS.

Apollo began to snap orders to get him awake, but it wasn't needed, Percy's eyes flicked open and he let out another scream.

"Scratch that. Give him anesthetics. Now!" The doctors obeyed and pushed a sterile needle into his skin, injected with morphine. They all waited, hoping it would work.

It did and Percy met his father's eyes with glassy uncertainty. Apollo stepped in the way, sending a glare to everyone in the room.

"Everyone leave, now!" Poseidon, Luke and Triton protested but Apollo's snarled threat forced them to obey.

"What the Hades' happened, Perce?" Apollo asked, moving his hand over the break on his forearm, by far the worst one he had.

"Hyperion and Kronos, I think." He muttered. "The ceiling is blue. Did you know that?" Apollo raised an eyebrow at the effects of morphine.

"You think that it was the titans?" Percy nodded absently.

"It was a dream, but not really a dream. Why is the ceiling blue, Apollo bud-dy? Did a guy float up there to paint it?" The god of medicine finished his work on the worst of the break, though it would have to be put in a cast. The break was very severe and not easily fixed even by the god of medicine.

"What do you mean a dream, Percy? This is important." Percy met his gaze with a frown, like he was trying to focus but failing.

"Morpheum... no Morpheit... no... Morpheyi, or someone was there. He was keeping me there, I think."

"Morpheus? Do you mean Morpheus?" Apollo asked urgently, even as he fixed Percy's jaw and moved onto his wrist.

"Think so. Never met him but sounds right, I think. Anyway, Morpheywhatsit was just in the background. Never touched me or nothing. Kronos just cut me with his scythe, which isn't fun, by the way, hurts like nothing else and the pain doesn't go away and-" Apollo cut him off.

"Focus Perce, Focus. So Kronos cut you with his scythe?" Percy nodded. "What happened next?" The new immortal turned to him and frowned, thinking back as best he could.

"Hyperion started beating me up. Broke my jaw and other bones. Then Morpheyguy told Kron-os that he couldn't hold me any longer. Something bout a Leste." Apollo frowned.

"Lady Celeste, guardian of Tartarus and Goddess of Darkness. Continue." He suggested.

"Leste made him weak or somethin and so he couldn't keep me. Kronos asked something about his 'gift staying with me' and Morphewhoever said it would. He smiled and Hyperion grabbed my arm and it shattered. And then he left a mark and somethin about 'knowing who my master is.' or somethin. I don't get it, 'Pollo. Why's the ceiling blue?"

The god of medicine ignored the dopey teenager and leaned back with a frown. What Percy said about Kronos was disturbing, especially the last part. Plus, he was having no success removing the titan symbol from Percy's arm.

"Shit." He muttered and flashed out to the hallway.

"I've healed him as best I could. I need to go see father about something. Oh, and Poseidon? Make absolutely sure that he has a constant supply of Morphine. He'll need it." Triton frowned.

"Isn't that stuff addictive to mortals?" Apollo rolled his eyes.

"I'll handle it, kid. I've gotta go. See ya later, Uncle P. I'll be back in an hour." Apollo disappeared in a flash and Poseidon was the first through the door.

The first thing all of them heard when they walked in was "Why is the ceiling _blue?" _Everyone would later deny laughing at that considering Percy's current state and every one of them, including Amphitrite, would be lying.

The Prince and King of the sea moved to either side of Percy and Luke hesitated before standing behind Poseidon. Amphitrite moved behind her son on the other side of the bed.

"How are you feeling, brother?" Triton asked, taking a seat in the chair by the bed.

"Fine. I think. Maybe. That sounds right. I guess." Poseidon shared a look with his other son. Neither was sure how to handle dopey Percy. Luke took pity and sat down in the second chair in front of Poseidon. He'd dealt with drugged-because-of-pain demigods before as commander of the titan army and knew how to get information out.

"Hey Perce. Let's play a game?" The demigod turned to stare at Luke.

"Okay. Cool. What game?" Luke smiled at the stereotypical reaction of a five year old.

"When I name a part of your body tell me how it feels, okay?" Percy nodded with an open smile.

"Sure! Sounds like fun." Poseidon and Triton both laughed.

"Okay, head." Percy hesitated before answering.

"Hurts a bit, especially on my cheek. And my mind is funny. Hey, Luke, how do I win this game?" The former traitor gave a crooked grin.

"If you lie, you lose. If you tell the truth the entire time, you win, okay?" Percy nodded again. "Alright, neck?" Percy stated that it was fine. Luke ran through all of the other injured parts, saving the right forearm and the brand for last.

"It doesn't hurt that much." Persy stated when Luke asked about his right side.

"And your right arm? How does that feel?" Luke asked hesitantly. The other immortals in the room leaned in to hear his response. Percy just frowned and glanced up at the ceiling, which was still blue.

"It hurts. Pretty bad, too. But not too bad because if it hurt too bad then I wouldn't be able to stay concious and if I couldn't stay concious, I couldn't win this game." Luke gave him a faked smile.

"Great job, Perce. You won!" The drugged demigod cheered and the royalty of the sea laughed again, glad to see the boy in good spirits even if it was because of the drugs.

"Yay!" The boy turned to the door and stared for a second before grinning again. "Hey Clar-isse! I think your daddy's dumb. And I used to think that bout you. But now I don't but your dad still is and-" Clarisse cut him off with a wave of her hand and turned to Luke with an angry and confused expression. Catching the message, Luke stood up.

"Where ya going, Lukey?" Triton snickered.

"Clarisse and I are gonna to get your prize, okay. We'll be back." Percy nodded and waved them away, settling into a talk with Poseidon about blue stuff (specifically the blue ceiling which continued to puzzle him.)

"What the hell is going on, Castellan? Why is Prissy in the hospital taped like a mummy?" Before she could ask more, Luke cut her off when he punched the wall. She stared.

"Kronos, Clarisse. Kronos happened." Her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a dark sneer.

"Explain, Luke. If you value your life." And so he did.


End file.
